


Hustling

by Jestana



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 23:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6398416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just <i>how</i> would they have earned 20 platinums to pay Airofday?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hustling

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during the third installment. I prompted "Glitch/Cain, pool hustling (Preferred that Glitch is the one doing the hustling)" on LJ back in 2009 and ended up answering the prompt myself.

As the four of them moved deeper into the Realm of the Unwanted, Glitch tugged on Cain's free arm. "Even with half my marbles, I _know_ we don't have 20 platinums. We don't even have one!"

"Keep it quiet," Cain hissed at the former Royal Advisor. "We need to find a bar."

DG piped up from her place on Cain's other side. "Why a bar?"

"Don't tell me the Tin Man knows how to hustle pool?" Glitch commented with an admiring glance for the blond man.

Cain shrugged modestly. "It's been a few years, but I'm sure I'll manage." He glanced at the others. "Unless any of you have played more recently?"

"I'm horrible at pool," DG confessed, looking apologetic.

Raw shook his head when Cain looked at him. "No pool."

"I won't know until I try playing," Glitch admitted with a sheepish smile.

Cain spotted a likely establishment and handed Toto to DG. "Here, you and Raw wait out here. If we come out running, you'd better run, too."

"Why would you be running?" DG asked, tucking the dog under her arm.

Glitch leaned in around Cain's shoulder. "People don't exactly _like_ being hustled out of their platinums, especially by strangers."

"Come on, Zipperhead." The way Cain said it made the term almost an endearment rather than an insult. "Let's get those 20 platinums."

Tattered coattails fluttering behind him like forlorn yet valiant flags, Glitch followed Cain into the bar. Stifling a sigh, DG sat down on a bench nearby and Raw sat down beside her, a silent comforting presence.

* * *

"Aw, c'mon, Sweetheart, give me the chance to even the score at least!" Glitch complained loudly to Cain a couple minutes later after the former Tin Man had beaten him more because the former Royal Advisor had deliberately played less than his best than skill.

As they'd agreed in a brief discussion before they'd started their game, Cain shook his head. "No, one game is enough and I'm not interested in playing for platinums."

"Fine, then, I'll see if any of these other nice men will play against me," Glitch waved vaguely towards the men who'd gathered around to watch their game. None of them looked even remotely 'nice' to Cain.

Glitch overbalanced as he waved his hand and only the cue he still had in his other hand kept him from falling on his face. The watching men chuckled and a rough voice asked, "You want to play for platinums, little man?"

"Yes, I do!" the Royal Advisor answered brightly. "Who said that?"

A tall, broad-shouldered man pushed his way to the front of the crowd, holding a cue stick in one hand. "That would be me. Ledger's the name."

"Good to meet you, Ledger." Glitch offered his hand. "The name's Glitch, because sometimes my synapses don't fire right. Sometimes my synapses don't fire right." Cain reached over and thumped Glitch's shoulder. Offering the ex-Tin Man a bright smile of gratitude, Glitch turned back to the bigger man. "Ready to play?"

Ledger nodded and helped rack the balls, meaty hands easily and expertly guiding the balls into place without the aid of the rack itself. Ledger broke and sunk two balls. He sunk two more before missing a rather tricky shot. Glitch, who'd been absently watching the other patrons, needed to be nudged by Cain before he took his turn. Ledger stood back from table, leaning casually against the wall as Glitch fussily positioned himself for a convoluted bank shot that he sank, but missed a straightforward shot directly into a pocket. Smirking faintly, Ledger stepped up to the table and sunk the rest of his balls in rapid succession and the eight ball easily disappeared into the pocket. Glitch stared blankly at the remaining balls. "Would you like to pay me now, or try to earn those platinums back?"

"Earn them back, if you don't mind," Glitch replied, a hint of desperation in his voice.

The muscular man nodded and they proceeded to rack up the balls. As agreed in their discussion, Glitch lost the next two games by increasingly smaller margins. This gave Ledger confidence that he'd found an easy mark and meant he'd be more careless about how much he'd bet. Finally, looking extremely desperate, Glitch offered, "One more game? For twenty?"

"I don't know, little man," Ledger answered slowly, rubbing his chin. "I've won quite a bit off you already."

Glitch wiped a hand across his forehead. "Please. Just one more?"

"Okay. _One_ more," Ledger agreed with a smirk. "You can break."

The former Royal Advisor gave a relieved smile. "Thank you!"

Of course, when he broke this time, it wasn't even legal! Only three balls hit the cushions and only the eight ball sank into a pocket. Ledger laughed as Glitch forlornly fished the eight ball out of the pocket. "Let's rack 'em up and _I'll_ break them, okay?"

"Okay." Glitch caught Cain's eye as Ledger racked up the balls and barely winked. Cain lightly touched the brim of his hat with one finger in reply. To an observer, it would just look like the ex Tin Man was adjusting the tilt of his hat.

The former Royal Advisor turned back to the table. The entire exchange hadn't even taken a second. Ledger broke and proceeded to sink all but two of his balls before he missed. Glitch looking quite desperate, his hands just barely shaking, stepped up to the table to take his turn. He managed several complicated shots, followed by a series of rather simple ones that he had missed in the previous games. This time, he sunk every one of them, looking surprised, relieved, and pleased each time the ball went in.

Finally, it was time for his last shot before he tried the eight ball. After another complicated shot, the ball rolled slowly towards the intended pocket after the cue ball hit it. Everyone in the bar seemed to hold their breath as the ball slowly moved and fell into the pocket. The only ball left was the eight ball. Ledger's smirk had disappeared. Cain eased towards the door, watching through the crowd as Glitch took the shot.

* * *

DG and Raw stood up when Cain and Glitch hurried out the door, the latter keeping one hand cupped protectively over the pocket of his coat. "Did you get them?"

"You bet, doll!" Glitch chirped as they quickly lost themselves amongst the crowds. "Pool is quite simple when you think about it. Just a matter of calculating trajectories and forces and--"

"We get the idea, Glitch," she cut him off with a bemused smile. "Let's go meet the Seeker."


End file.
